Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Suicide is a multicasual and complex phenomenon that constitutes a public health problem, especially in the Rio Grande do Sul (RS). In 2016, the state’s rate was 11 deaths for every 100,000 residents (17.8 for men and 4.5 for women), almost two times higher than the Brazilian rate. In some areas, like the Região do Vale do Rio Pardo, numbers are even more alarming, reaching 17.2 for every 100,000 residents. The goal of this work was to conduct an in-depth study of suicide cases in their particular social context. Method: In 2016, 48 suicide deaths were registered in the Região do Vale do Rio Pardo. 31 of these suicide cases were studied using psychological autopsy: 27 men and 4 women. Family members were contacted, after the study was approved by the Ethics Committee for Researches. The method used, psychological autopsy, allowed the reconstruction of the life history of the deceased through interviews with family members. This research was conducted by the Analysis Observatory of Suicides, a project of the State Health Department of RS. Results/Discussion: By stablishing relations between the life history of the people who committed suicide, the analysis allowed us to identify the profiles (types) of the victims. The analysis also allowed to detect the influence of German colonization and the complex production network of tobacco in the lives and deaths of this population. Considerations: the results of this study has been helping professionals in the development of the Suicide Prevention Plan for the Região.